NIOSH investigators have determined a number of issues were factors in an incident that caused the death of a California firefighter last year.
Los Angeles Firefighter Brent Lovrien, 36, was using a saw in an attempt to enter a utility closet when an explosion occurred.
Lovrien was killed, and another firefighter was seriously injured.
NIOSH investigators noted that insufficient situational awareness, lack of hazard identification and dispatchers not recognizing the severity of the incident were contributing factors.
They noted that there were several calls about the incident, ranging from an odor of smoke to an underground explosion to a structure fire.
The victim believed he was on a structure fire. He did not hear a discussion about the different incidents because he was on a different channel, according to the report.
Seconds after starting a saw in an attempt to get into the utility closet, the blast occurred. It door that was blown off the hinges struck Lovrien.
He was flown to a local hospital, but was pronounced dead. Blunt force trauma was listed as the cause of death.
